


Trust the Process

by FindingSchmomo



Series: Wolf Husbands and How to Deal with Them, A Memoir by Oikawa Tooru [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Camping, Comedy, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Married Couple, dont shove your arm down a wolfs throat, its a bad idea, werewolf iwaizumi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 08:03:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13970802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FindingSchmomo/pseuds/FindingSchmomo
Summary: In which Oikawa isn't going to be there for Iwaizumi's transformation, so he brings along a couple of close friends in his stead. What could possibly go wrong?(A lot, actually)Or, part three of my self-indulgent romp into the world of Werewolf!Iwaizumi and his anxious husband Oikawa, and how, maybe, they just need to trust the process.





	Trust the Process

**Author's Note:**

> This work is part of series but can be read on it's own. Still, for the best experience, I recommend going back and reading the two preceding stories first.

“So this is where the magic happens, huh?” Matsukawa asks, stretching his long limbs after the cramped car ride. He pads around the edge of the parking lot and the forest, cracking his neck to one side and letting out a contented sigh.

Iwaizumi doesn’t bother with a real response, just giving a grunt as he hauls out the tent bag and the cooler in one go, duffle bag already strapped to his back. Hanamaki moves to help him before realizing, somehow, that Iwaizumi is fine with all that weight. 

“Dude, have you been working out more?” he asks, blinking, “You’re suppose to get  _ weaker _ as you age. That’s not fair.”

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, putting down the cooler for a second so he can lock the car, “Might be a side effect to my condition.”

Matsukawa swoops down to pick up the cooler before Iwaizumi can stop him, pretending it’s not as heavy as it is, for his own pride, “Condition, right. So medical. Got a diagnosis from a professional and everything right?”

“Yeah, have you gone to a vet yet?” Hanamaki snickers. 

“I will lock you in my car, don’t fucking test me,” Iwaizumi growls, and it sounds slightly more feral than human. He swallows it down, reminding the wolf inside him there’s still plenty of daylight left. It’s time would come soon enough. 

Hanamaki and Matsukawa a laugh of the moment easily. Iwaizumi turns away, ears a bit red and starts heading into the thick forest, the pair obediently following behind him. 

“So how far is the spot?” Hanamaki asks, to break the awkward silence, “Careful, Issei,” he adds quickly, nudging the taller man to bend down to dodge a low branch.

“About a mile or so. Takes us around 20 minutes to get there,” Iwaizumi supplies, feet carrying him easily through the underbrush with practiced steps, “Though, since Oikawa isn’t with us I feel like we’ll get there in 15.”

Hanamaki snickers, flicking a beetle off his wrist, “I’m sure Mr. Clean Freak isn’t a big fan of this part is he?”

Iwaizumi smiles, but it’s hidden from the pair because he’s walking in front of them, “I have to hold his hand the whole walk, and if he sees a bug he screams. But at the same time, he wants to take pictures of everything for his instagram. It’s awful.”

“Shit, we should totally instagram this, No wait-,” Matsukawa mutters, “Hiro, get your phone out, we should vlog.”

“You are  _ not _ vlogging this,” Iwaizumi snaps, stopping to turn around so they know he’s serious, “This is fucking top secret, got that?”

“Wow, where’s the trust built on years of friendship?” Hanamaki asks, offended, “We wouldn’t vlog your transformation sequence. Just like, make it a chill camping vlog.”

Iwaizumi looks sour, lips puckered in a tight frown, “I have to approve it before it goes anywhere.”

“That’s chill,” Matsukawa agrees, “Does Oikawa not like, take pics of you?”

Iwaizumi turns away to keep walking, “No.”

“Aren’t you, like, curious what you look like?” Hanamaki asks. 

Iwaizumi waves his hand off, dismissively, trudging forward and letting the conversation drop in the gap created between them. 

Oikawa had never taken a picture of him in his changed form, only took nature pictures when they went out in the woods of the woods. Didn’t even take selfies, or pictures of their camp, or anything too distinct to be tracked down. They never really talked about  _ why _ he didn’t, because Iwaizumi could already tell. Could smell it in the anxiety that came off Oikawa in waves whenever it neared time for the full moon. 

Oikawa is terrified. More so than even Iwaizumi is, of being found out and discovered. It’s not something Iwaizumi likes to think about, so he doesn’t. It’d been about a year of dealing with all this and nothing had gone horribly wrong. No one knew other than his closest friends at the wedding, and really out of that party only Kyoutani, Yahaba, Matsukawa and Hanamaki knew the full truth. Kindaichi had blamed it on alcohol, Kunimi thought it was just a crazed dog and Ushijima had been too stunned and hurt to remember much at all. It was easier this way. 

But Oikawa’s anxious mind is not as kind as Iwaizumi’s own. It’s obsessive and clings to negatives with a vice like grip. Replaying countless scenarios over and over again within the confines of his skull. Iwaizumi can easily tell, because he knows Oikawa, knows how he works and works and works. He just wishes he could take it all away. 

He fiddles with the ring on his finger. 

“We there yet, boss?” Hanamaki asks, breaking him out of his thoughts. 

Iwaizumi takes in his surroundings, his body having gone on autopilot. He sniffs the air, “We’re close.”

It takes a few more minutes, but eventually they break out into a large clearing. Many of the trees bordering it are covered in scratch marks but other than that, it’s devoid of much at all. There’s the tell tale scorch marks of fire near the center. 

“This is it,” Iwaizumi says, setting down his tent bag and the duffle bag, “There’s also a stream a few minutes down that way.”

“Cool,” Hanamaki answers, setting down his backpack. Matsukawa puts the cooler down in the middle of the area and shrugs off his own bag. He stretches again, cracking his fingers and knuckles pleasantly. 

“Now what?” Matsukawa asks.

“You wanna set up the tent or make the fire?” Iwaizumi asks instead. 

“What does Oikawa do?” Hanamaki counters. 

Iwaizumi can’t help the snort, “He lies down right there uselessly.”

“I call Oikawa’s job,” Hanamaki raises his hand. 

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and nudges the tent bag toward him, “You don’t get a free pass.”

Hanamaki sighs dramatically but acquieses, shuffling over to Matsukawa so they can get to work on the temporary shelter. Iwaizumi leaves them to it, venturing back into the woods to collect kindling and rocks. 

Making the fire was always Oikawa’s favorite part. Following after Iwaizumi and grabbing at twigs and rocks, catching sight of lizards and taking pictures. Oikawa once said it reminded him of when they were kids, when Iwaizumi was in his bug catching phase, and the thought had clung to Iwaizumi like a warm blanket. 

The twig snaps in his hand and he lets out a breath. One night without Oikawa would not kill him. He’s had plenty of nights without Oikawa, sure they were never transformation nights, and the  _ one _ time Oikawa wasn’t there it had been the worst night of his life, the pain of it still raw in his throat despite the months that had passed and --

Iwaizumi takes another breath, focusing on relaxing his entire body. The wolf within is anxious, pushing against his ribs, wishing to escape at the thought of that awful, awful steel box. He can’t have his muscles tense up before the change, it made the whole experience ten times more painful then it needed to be. And Oikawa wasn’t here to give him a massage and--

He lets out a whine, pitiful and guttural and without his permission. He clamps his mouth shut, face reddening at his own outburst. He’s grateful Matsukawa and Hanamaki had stayed behind. He doesn’t think he could live that one down.

“It’s not going to be like last time,” he hisses, as if the wolf could understand english, which he knows for a fact it can’t. But he hopes saying it aloud makes it feel more real, real enough that the wolf feels it too, “You’ve got this whole forest to explore, you’re going to be fine.”

The wolf seems to calm a bit, his heart rate slowing back down enough that Iwaizumi doesn’t feel so choked up by the wolf’s overwhelming emotions. He swallows, straightening up and focusing back on the task at hand. Dusk was approaching and he refused to leave his companions without any sort of fire, after they had agreed to trek out here with him on such short notice. 

When he returns to their little camp, the tent is mostly up. Sometimes he forgets how competent Matsukawa and Hanamaki can actually be when they weren’t goofing off and trying to make his life hell. 

He starts work on the fire as the pair finish up. He’s pretty proud at how skilled he’s gotten at it, getting the flame ablaze fairly quickly. 

“This is kinda nice,” Matsukawa confesses, “I don’t think I’ve been out camping since I was a little kid.”

“It’d be nicer if we had wifi,” Hanamaki sighs, warming his hands on the fire. 

Iwaizumi is about to retort, when his phone starts buzzing in his pocket. He pulls it out, sliding open the call and pressing it to his ear, “Hey.”

“Is everything alright?” Oikawa’s voice comes in, jittery and higher pitched than normal. 

Iwaizumi smiles because Oikawa can’t see him, “Yeah, we’re good.”

“So Yahaba’s with you?” Oikawa continues, not relieved in the slightest. 

“What?” Iwaizumi blinks, “Yahaba?”

“I called him! I told him he needed to be with you. I gave him the address and everything. Is he not there? Iwa-chan, Iwa-chan, you  _ promised _ me you wouldn’t do this alone--”

“Yeah, I brought Matsun and Makki with me. What’s this about Yahaba?”

“Oh,” Oikawa swallows, “Well, after our phone call yesterday I, I called Yahaba to take care of you.”

“I can take care of myself,” Iwaizumi sighs back, rubbing his temple, “I haven’t heard from him at all. Are you sure he’s coming?”

“He might be in the parking lot confused,” Oikawa murmurs, “I’ll have him text you.”

“I’m gonna be fine, Tooru,” Iwaizumi says, because it’s worth saying. 

Oikawa is quiet for a bit, “I just want to make sure.”

Iwaizumi smiles, kicking a pebble with his foot, “I know.”

There’s a shared moment of silence, words unsaid but heard, before Oikawa finally speaks up again, “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Iwaizumi replies, softly, in the hopes no one can hear him, “Don’t worry too much.”

“Can’t help it,” Oikawa sighs, continuing on, “I’m gonna do my best to get to you by morning. My flight  _ finally _ got in and my train will be leaving soon and then I’ll get a cab to our place to grab the car and drop off my stuff.”

“Tooru,” Iwaizumi says, sternly, “Don’t drive out here. Just sleep.”

“Maybe,” Oikawa concedes, and maybe thats a testament to the exhaustion bleeding into every syllable he voices,  “No promises. Also, wear your boxers, Matsun and Makki have no business getting a free show.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Iwaizumi laughs. 

“I’m  _ right _ ,” Oikawa huffs like a petulant child, “Okay, we’re starting to board I have to go. Be good, Iwa-chan. Don’t bite anyone.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, exchanging goodbyes before hanging up his phone. He glances back over to his companions, both in the process of making exaggerated gagging motions complete with sound effects. 

“The married life’s made you soft, Iwaizumi,” Hanamaki boos, “It’s gross.”

Iwaizumi wishes he had not kicked the pebble away, or else he would have thrown it at the pair of them. 

His homicidal urge dies down with his phone buzzing again, this time an apologetic text from Yahaba about the misunderstanding, along with an imminent ETA. He frowns, looking up at the horizon and the dimming sun. 

“Something wrong?” Matsukawa asks. 

“Yahaba and Kyoutani are coming too,” Iwaizumi replies, “They’re gonna be in the parking lot in like, five minutes, so I’m gonna head over to get them.”

“Isn’t it...soon?” Hanamaki continues, giving his own glance toward the sky, “One of us should go instead.”

“You’ll get lost,” Iwaizumi shakes his head, pocketing his phone after sending a quick reply, “I’ll be fine.”

Matsukawa and Hanamaki share a look between them before Matsukawa stands up, “I’ll tag along.”

Iwaizumi wants to argue, feels weird about leaving Hanamaki alone in the clearing but acquiesces, for Oikawa’s peace of mind--even if he’s not even here to nag him. Maybe he is as whipped as his friends say. 

“Hiro, my phone has no service so call Iwaizumi if you need anything,” Matsukawa shouts back as they venture back into the woods. Hanamaki waves them off, busy searching through the cooler for hot dogs to cook for the lot of them. 

“So,” Matsukawa asks, hands stuffed into his pockets as they tread carefully back the way they came, “What’s it like, being a dog sometimes?”

Iwaizumi snorts, “A wolf,” he corrects, because at least give him that, “It’s...annoying,” he continues, “But not all bad. More of a monthly inconvenience than anything.”

Matsukawa laughs, “You’re so chill about it. You have super strength and smell, you’re fast as shit, fuck, you’re  _ magical _ , but you make it seem like it’s nothing.”

Iwaizumi shrugs, “It’s not what it’s all cracked up to be.”

“I guess,” Matsukawa hums, shooing away a mosquito with his hand, “Do you ever want to like, go back to Arashiyama, see if you can find the guy that turned you?” 

“And what? Yell at them for defending themselves because I was a drunk moron? I’ll pass.”

Matsukawa pauses, enough that Iwaizumi looks back at him curiously. He’s wearing a soft smile, one side higher than the other, “Damn, Iwaizumi, sometimes I forget how cool of a guy you are.”

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and looks away quickly, trudging forward and hoping the burn in his ears  is covered by the growing darkness. 

There’s only two cars in the parking lot when they emerge, Matsukawa’s and Kyoutani’s, parked one apart from each other. Matsukawa waves and Kyoutani kills the engine. Yahaba steps out and rushes forward, bowing deeply, “Iwaizumi, I am  _ so _ sorry about the miscommunication. I thought you knew! Oikawa was freaking out last night when he called and I didn’t think to check in with you, I’m so sorry.”

Iwaizumi ruffles the younger man’s hair, “Don’t worry about it,” he pulls his hand away and flicks his gaze back up at the sky, “Let’s hurry though, I want to get you guys back to the clearing.”

Kyoutani comes out with his own camping bag, handing off Yahaba his backpack. Kyoutani gives a quick acknowledging nod. Iwaizumi feels his skin prickle and a snarl fermenting in his throat. He’s not sure if its the scent of other wolves that clings to Kyoutani’s person, or the fact he’s a permanent reminder of the steel box, but just the sight of him puts him at unease. 

He wishes Oikawa were here. 

He shakes the thought away, forcing a grin and giving Kyoutani an amicable pat on the back like he always used to. Kyoutani tries not to flinch and the four start their trek back into the woods. 

Iwaizumi can feel the wolf skittering inside him, riled up from the festering anxieties Iwaizumi keeps doing his best to swallow down. He’s ignited the beast further with Kyoutani, teeth gritting without his permission, wolf clawing within his chest for release. He still has  _ time _ damn it. 

As they reach the halfway point he clutches his side, slowing his pace. The wolf is getting unbearable and Iwaizumi knows the harder he pushes now, the worst the transformation itself will be. Tears prickle at the edges of his eyes and he quickly looks up to send them back in. 

“Iwaizumi?” Yahaba murmurs.

“I don’t think,” he starts, breath unreasonably haggard for such a short walk, “I don’t think I can make it back in time. Matsun, do you remember the way? Just keep going straight and you should hit it. Call out for Makki, he’ll help you.”

“We can’t just leave you here,” Matsukawa insists. 

Iwaizumi waves at him, leaning back against a tree, “I’ll find you guys after I turn. Oh, shit,” he mutters, quickly fumbling with his ring, giving it to Matsukawa, “Hold on to that, if you lose it I’ll fucking murder your ass,” he slips a hand into his pocket for his phone and gives that up as well, “This too.”

“I can stay with him,” Kyoutani offers, “I know wolves.”

Yahaba frowns. 

Iwaizumi feels the wolf’s growl wishing desperately to break free, “You don’t know the way to camp, and I’ll probably just dart off.  _ Go _ .”

The last bit rasps into a snarl, and its animalistic enough to make the men around him second guess their concern and take a step back. Matsukawa finally makes the decision, herding the other two toward camp. 

Iwaizumi is alone and it is a relief.

Too much of a relief to be unnoticeable, and he realizes there’s another fear he’s been trying to tamp down since the moment Matsukawa and Hanamaki met up with him at his apartment to pick him up. That he really  _ shouldn’t _ be with other people, that the wolf will take over and hurt them unforgivably. And maybe it’s that underlying tension that has the wolf so ready to burst out. 

Hopefully to prove him wrong. 

He takes a breath and starts stripping, because there’s nothing left to do. He probably should have handed the clothes off to Matsukawa but he hadn’t thought of it. Once nude, he sits down, takes another big breath and tries his hardest to relax. 

It hurts. It hurts a  _ ton _ . Like a truck is running him over, and every moment he thinks its over another wheel digs into his body with the full weight of an elephant. He’d forgotten how painful it could be, with tense muscles, rocks digging into his back, and only splintery bark to grab hold of. 

It’s funny, how fingers carding through his hair could be so little but mean so much. 

He lets out a long, painful whine into the night air, and he misses Oikawa, he misses him more than anything. 

* * *

It had been stupid to think Oikawa could always be there for the shift. That their schedules would always magically align with the full moon and it would be easy.

It could never be easy. 

“It’s okay, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi assures through the phone for the seventeenth time. 

“I’m so sorry, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa repeats for the eighteenth time, and Iwaizumi isn’t sure if it’s the poor reception or if Oikawa really is on the verge of panicked tears. It twists his stomach all the same.

“I can go by myself,” Iwaizumi continues, trying to sound assuring, “It’ll be fine.”

“You can’t do it alone,” Oikawa insists, covering his other ear with his hand to block out the ruckus from the airport. Some fellow passenger is screaming at the poor flight attendant behind the desk, and his agitated nerves don’t need it, “I’m gonna call Yahaba.”

“Oikawa, I’m  _ fine _ ,” Iwaizumi replies.

“Well, I’m  _ not _ ,” Oikawa snaps then, completely undone, breath hitching in the reciever. It makes Iwaizumi pause and swallows down anything he could have possibly said, “I’m not fine, ok? What if something happens? I’ll have no idea. You can’t, you can’t call or text, or anything and something could happen and I’m on the other side of the damn world.”

Iwaizumi sighs, “Alright, Oikawa. I’ll bring someone with me.”

He hangs up after a few more words exchanged, sighing back into the couch in the quiet apartment. He cracks his neck, tries to swallow down his own nervousness and gets up. He’ll have to pack everything himself this time. 

He grabs the duffle bag from the back of the closet, making sure his collar and spare set of sweats are still inside. He realizes he doesn’t really need to bring much else, other than the tent bag already propped by the door and the cooler of meat. Everything else they packed had always been for Oikawa’s sake. 

But Oikawa isn’t going to be there. 

Iwaizumi bites his lip. 

It had been months now, almost a year, since the time he’d gone through the shift by himself, locked away in the steel box. The memory prickles his skin, his heart squeezing tight in his chest with fear. He shakes it away, reminding himself this is different. He’s out in the woods, and the wolf  _ loves _ the woods. There are rabbits to dig up, squirrels to follow and mice to sniff out. He even saw an owl once and the wolf had been enamored chasing it. 

It’ll be different this time. 

Iwaizumi lets go of the duffle bag once he realizes how tightly he’s squeezing it. He hesitates a moment and then decides,  _ fuck it _ . He grabs the bag again and launches himself at Oikawa’s closet, bringing the articles to his face, breathing them in and selecting the ones that comfort his erratic heartbeat the best. 

He throws in a few scarves and sweaters into the bag, before deciding to stuff Oikawa’s pillow in there for good measure. 

He zips up the bulging bag, and by not having to look at the contents within he feels less embarrassed about it.

He calls up Matsukawa.

* * *

Iwaizumi regains consciousness, locked away behind the wolf’s eyes. He’s still in the dark woods, feet skittering about the dirt, nose pressed to the ground. So many scents fill his sinuses, of prey and predator alike. He can smell his friends, the trail leading off ahead of him. But, he can smell Oikawa too, faint and almost imperceptible.

Iwaizumi wonders, suddenly, if Oikawa  _ had _ made it back in time, somehow. That’s impossible, however, and Iwaizumi knows that. But the wolf doesn’t, and the thought of its mate nearby sends it into a hurried frenzy, paws kicking up dirt as it starts racing down the familiar path  in search of him. 

It lets out a calling howl as it runs, giddy and excited, closing its eyes at times to just enjoy the wind passing through its dark fur. Iwaizumi feels this too, that giddiness, that inherent joy for life. Because the wolf just feels, feels with all its might, enveloping all of Iwaizumi with it. And it’s nice. Maybe more than nice.  

It breaks the treeline easily, sliding into the clearing to a chorus of terrified screaming. Its ears flatten down at the reception, haunches raising in alarm as it stares around at the many strangers now in his view. 

Thankfully, the humans seem to calm down, a bit wary but less tense and loud. The wolf sees this, lowering its guard again. Kyoutani is the first one to act, fishing into the cool for a raw steak and throwing it. 

This is enough for the wolf, who races to the meat to gobble it down in two hungry messy bites. It licks it’s bloody lips, teeth baring at the men. Hanamaki, this time, sends the beast another steak to devour, and another, until finally the initial hunger is sated and the beast can refocus once more. 

Yahaba takes a tentative step forward, despite Kyoutani’s warning, reaching his hand out for the beast to inspect. The wolf sniffs at it, recognizing the scent that mingles with Oikawa’s at times and gives it an accepting lick. 

Yahaba giggles, petting the wolf’s head, smiling wider as it’s tail starts to thump at the ground. “Aww, you’re as sweet as I remembered,” Yahaba coos, scratching behind the beast’s ears, earning him a pleased bark. 

Hanamaki snaps a picture of the scene letting out a tension releasing laugh. 

“He’s more dog than wolf, honestly,” Matsukawa comments with a growing grin. 

“Oikawa’s got him tamed, no matter what form he’s in, huh?” Hanamaki agrees. 

Yahaba snorts, continuing to pet the wolf, combing his fingers through the black hair, “Oh,” he realizes, “We need to put his collar on.”

“What?”

“Oikawa gave me specific instructions,” Yahaba replies, standing up, “Do this, do that. Mostly let the wolf do what it wants. Encourage it to run around and get all its energy out. Iwaizumi just needs his collar in case he runs off too far. It’s probably in his bag.”

Hanamaki crouches down to unzip the duffle bag, pulling free the pillow and rifling through the spare clothes until his hands grasp the thick green leather collar. He pulls it free, inspecting it, letting his fingers run through the well worn material and the glinting ID tag, “Kinky.”

“Collars aren’t kinky,” Kyoutani huffs, perhaps a bit too defensively. 

Yahaba does his best to hide his laugh with a cough, fingers tightening in the beast’s fur. Or would have, if the wolf didn’t hurry away from him when Hanamaki had first unzipped the bag. It must have been intrigued by the sound, because it makes a beeline for it, ears perked. 

It sniffs at the bag, snout digging into the pillow. It’s paws scratch at the earth, tail wagging even more furiously as it nuzzles the soft fabric. It sinks down completely to the ground, shoving its entire face inside the pillows case.

The human’s share a perplexed look, alarm growing as the wolf starts to let out a sad whine from within the pillow, legs kicking out at the dirt. 

“Is…..Is he ok?” Matsukawa asks. 

Kyoutani venture closer, attempting to pull the pillow case away so the wolf doesn’t suffocate. The beast growls, standing up immediately. It’s teeth sink into the fabric, gripping it tightly and away from the offender, ears pinned back. 

Kyoutani lets go, eyes squinting. Yahaba moves to stand by him, crouching down to pick up a sweater from the bag, “Isn’t this Oikawa’s?”

The wolf lets go of the pillow in favor of sniffing at the sweater in Yahaba’s hands, nuzzling into the fibers. Yahaba smiles, “Aww, do you miss him?” he coos, bringing the sweater up to lay it across the wolf’s back and tie it loosely around its neck, “Aww he’s so sweet looking!”

“Hiro, put the collar on him,” Matsukawa urges, watching as Hanamaki crouches down to do so. The wolf doesn’t seem bothered, most likely used to the garment by now, more keen to sniff at Hanamaki instead. 

Once dressed, Matsukawa shooshes them away to take a picture of the wolf with Iwaizumi’s phone, sending it via text to Oikawa with the caption,  _ Matsukawa is taking good care of me!!! _

“Alright, well, I don’t think Oikawa is gonna love having all his clothes covered in dog slobber,” Hanamaki comments, standing back up, “But don’t worry, your old, dear senpais have thought of everything to keep this big ol’ pup entertained.”

Matsukawa fishes through his backpack as if on cue to pull out a wide array of squeak toys, pull ropes and tennis balls. 

Yahaba blinks at the sudden pile, “Isn’t that kind of...offensive?”

“He’s a wolf, not a dog,” Kyoutani adds with a severe frown.

“Details,” Matsukawa brushes off, picking up a spiky neon green squeak toy and squeezing it once, watching with amusement as the wolf’s ears perk up, “Wolf or dog it doesn’t matter, he’s still a pupper.”

“I hate this,” Kyoutani huffs, crossing his arms. 

Matsukawa ignores him in favor of squeaking the toy once more, smile growing as the wolf peers at him intensely. Then he throws it. The wolf scrambles, dirt flicking off its paws as it dashes into the underbrush and out of sight straight after the projectile. 

“Did you get that?” Matsukawa asks.

“Hell yeah I did,” Hanamaki laughs, holding his phone camera steady for the return of the beast. 

There’s a moment of collective apprehension, fear that the wolf might not ever return, but the moment passes as furry legs bound back into view, chew toy destroyed within its gaping jaw. 

Matsukawa blinks, “Damn.”

Kyoutani smirks, “He’s a  _ wolf _ .”

The night is fairly peaceful all around. The wolf well behaved, distracted by the rowdy group and engaged in all their activities. Matsukawa’s toys do their job of tiring the beast out fairly quickly, leading to the wolf nestling itself near the fire, sandwiched between Hanamaki and Yahaba. It tucks its head into its paws, basking in the warmth and the soft pets and pats from his companions. 

Hanamaki nudges Matsukawa to grab the last bit of goodies they had made sure to bring and Matsukawa returns with marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolates and a collection of pristine skewers. Yahaba claps his hands eagerly and even Kyoutani lacks his usual scowl at the sight. 

“I forgot how good s’mores are,” Yahaba practically moans, carefully licking off marshmellow goo from his fingers. He turns to clean off the edges of Kyoutani’s messy lips with his fingers, licking up the excess.

“You can’t go camping without them,” Matsukawa agrees, skewering two marshmallows at once. 

The wolf perks up at the smells around it, lifting its head curiously to sniff at the treat. Hanamaki twists his head down with a soft smile, “Aww, you hungry buddy? Here you go,” letting the beast lick up the s’more in his hand into his mouth. The beast chews it thoroughly, stretching its mouth to accommodate the sticky texture of marshmallows and seems disinterest by the snack all together. It turns away completely, padding back toward the tent.

“What a party pooper,” Hanamaki boos. 

Kyoutani stares at him, eyes widening, “Did you just feed him that?”

Hanamaki blinks at him with a nod, “Who am I to play gatekeeper to all this fun.”

“Dogs can’t eat chocolate,” Kyoutani reminds, voice raising as he stands up, hand clenching around his skewer. 

Hanamaki stills, and he quickly leaps to his own defense, “It was like, barely any chocolate and he’s huge. It’s probably fine, right Issei?”

But Issei isn’t looking at him. Instead he has his flashlight shining on the wolf digging through their snack bag, mouth chewing through the hershey’s chocolate bars they had packed, wrapper and all. 

“Fuck,” is all he can really say. 

* * *

Oikawa is exhausted. Has been exhausted for about 48 hours now. A headache has firmly entrenched itself into his frontal lobe, pulsating painfully right above his left eye. His bed screams for him but he ignores it.

Because the worry churning in his stomach is so much worse than all of that. 

He should never have agreed to this business trip. 

In his defense, he was supposed to get back two days before the full moon. That was the only reason he had agreed in the first place. But weather can be unpredictable and LA traffic even worse, and so when realized his flight had been cancelled and rescheduled he had felt the dread start to pool in his stomach. 

There had been no worse moment in his life than wringing his hands in the airport lobby, replaying in his head all the things that could go wrong over and over and over again. 

Iwaizumi getting taken by animal control. Iwaizumi being discovered and taken to a science facility or circus. Iwaizumi getting shot by hunters. Iwaizumi getting run over and killed by a car in the dead of night.

And he wouldn’t even  _ know  _ about it. 

Why would anyone report the death of some wild dog? Why would anyone bother to inform  _ him  _ of it? It’s not like Iwaizumi could put his own collar on. 

But Oikawa refused to breakdown in an airport, instead calling Iwaizumi himself and  _ promising _ that he would not go through this alone. And when that wasn’t enough he made his friends promise him as well. 

But that didn’t make the fear go away. Oikawa needed to be there. Had to be there. 

And that’s why he was currently stumbling out of his car in the dead of night, the full moon high above his head, to check on his husband himself. He had a clear enough head to lock his car before stomping his way into the woods. 

Oikawa isn’t stupid, he’d kept his phone fully charged in his car so he could pull it out now and use the flashlight function. He’d done this trek over twenty times by now, sure never without Iwaizumi, but he knows he should be able to manage it just fine. 

Oikawa only trips four times, and out of those only actually  _ falls _ once, scuffing his hands on roots and twigs. He hisses, grabbing his phone, thankfully still illuminated by the flashlight that had skidded a ways away. After a quick inspection it looks unharmed. He keeps going. 

He knows he’s getting close, the growing appearance of claw marks at the base of certain trees boosting his confidence. 

There’s a sudden pained howl in the distance and it freezes Oikawa completely, rooting him to the spot. He shakes it off, refocusing, “Iwa-chan!” he shouts back, as loud as he can. 

His cry is returned with a more high pitched keen, loud and sad and it makes Oikawa’s heart absolutely  _ ache _ . 

What’s wrong? Is Iwaizumi hurt? Did he fall into the nearby river and twist his leg? Break his leg? Break his  _ spine? _ Is he lying immobile somewhere bleeding out, desperately calling for help, alone without him there? Where were their friends? Did they hurt somehow? Got to rough? Fuck, fuck, fuck. Oikawa should have been here from the very beginning. He’s garbage, utter garbage, how could he have left him alone through this? 

He starts hurrying through the underbrush, paying less mind to the branches catching at his clothes and arms. More pained and angry wolf noises meet his ears, spurring him on, and as he gets closer he can hear voices too, panicked and urgent. 

“Where is he!?” Oikawa demands, as he finally pushes his way into the clearing, forcing out the scream through haggard breaths. His eyes widen, “What are you  _ doing _ to him?”

The wolf is on its on side flattened to the ground. Matsukawa’s entire body weight keeping it down where he’s lying atop him. Hanamaki has most of the beasts flailing legs held tight, scratch marks littering his arms and a grimace stretching his face. Yahaba straddles the wolf’s neck, holding its head tight. Kyoutani is in the process of trying to shove his arm down the animal’s throat. 

Oikawa’s sudden appearance is enough of a shock to distract the group, and enough of an incentive for the wolf to struggle ten times harder. It’s able to knock Yahaba and Matsukawa off him, kicking Hanamaki away and being centimeter from snapping down on Kyoutani’s skin. The beast scurries away, hurrying to stand behind Oikawa, pressing his wet snout into the small of the man’s back.

Oikawa feels his hands fisting at his sides, anger pulsing worse than the headache, “You have five seconds to explain yourselves.”

“We don’t have time for this!” Kyoutani snarls back, rerolling up his sleeve that had fallen in the struggle. Yahaba tugs him back. 

“This plan is idiotic,” he seethes, “I don’t why I agreed in the first place. What if he bites you?”

“It’s fine if he bites me,” Kyoutani brushes off. 

Yahaba’s fingers dig into his arm harder, “It is  _ not _ fine. If he bites you you might turn also!” Kyoutani is silent, long enough for Yahaba to smack him hard on the back, “You can  _ not _ be serious! We talked about this! I’m going to fucking kill you.”

“Your five seconds are up,” Oikawa snaps, coldly. 

“He got into the chocolate,” Matsukawa explains, dusting his pants off, “We were trying to get him to throw it up.”

Oikawa squints at them, but gets distracted by a whine from behind him, and the slimy touch of the beast’s tongue lapping at his hand. He looks down, and it’s only then he realizes he’s been bleeding. The wolf presses into his side, a comforting warmth and weight that Oikawa just wants to sink into and sleep on. 

“You gave him chocolate?” Oikawa ask slowly.

“No, of course not, that would be irresponsible,” Hanamaki says quickly, “He dug into our chocolate when we were making s’mores.”

Oikawa crouches down, ignoring them to give the wolf his full attention, fingers brushing through the fur around its snout, not minding the sting of his scratches. The wolf presses his face to the crook of Oikawa’s neck, lapping at the skin there wetly, enough to tickle. 

Oikawa smiles at him, “Are you okay, Iwa-chan?” the wolf licks his nose and Oikawa does laugh then, breathy and tired. He looks into those clear green eyes, and sometimes he swears it’s Iwaizumi looking back at him, not some animal, and Iwaizumi’s steady gaze has always been enough to calm any and all of his worries, if only for a while, “Mm, I think. I think it’s ok. And I don’t think making him gag will help. He’ll turn back soon enough anyway, and it should be fine.”

“I don’t know, Oikawa,” Matsukawa starts, flicking his gaze from the wolf back to the younger bickering couple behind them, “Kyoutani’s the expert and he seemed pretty worried.”

Oikawa has laid down on the ground at this point, petting Iwaizumi idly with one hand, “Kyoutani only knows wolves. _ I’m _ the leading expert on Iwaizumi Hajime here,” he closes his eyes, “If Auntie were here it’d be a different story. Maybe.”

“What the hell is he talking about?” Kyoutani snaps, forcing himself back into the conversation.

“I think he’s passing out,” Hanamaki murmurs. 

“He looks like a train hit him,” Matsukawa adds, “Remember when he was trying to be intimidating? All I could focus on was that stupid twig in his hair,” he laughs. 

“Shush,” Hanamaki warns, “Wait, I wanna take a picture of this, it’s too cute.”

“Mm, but, shouldn’t we actually get Iwaizumi to vomit now?” 

Yahaba shakes his head, face glowering, “KyouKen might have been a bit too excited with his initial suggestion. That little chocolate for such a big dog, who’s only really half dog is probably fine.  _ Somebody _ , just wanted to stick his hand into danger even though he  _ promised _ to behave himself tonight. But once he was reminded about our original agreement that if he ever fucking dared try to become a werewolf I would get him neutered he seems to have changed his diagnosis.”

Kyoutani huffs, turning away, haunching up his shoulders as if that would hide the redness covering his ears. 

“I can’t believe Oikawa actually fell asleep in the dirt like that,” Hanamaki comments, crouching down closer, “He’s out cold.” He lifts his hand to sweep the other man’s bangs from his face but is only met with a warning growl from the wolf laying beside him, teeth bared and green eyes piercing.

Hanamaki backs away with his hands up in surrender, letting the pair be. 

* * *

Oikawa wakes up to a sunny morning, back aching from the uneven ground and arm numb from the body sleeping on top of it. Iwaizumi is curled up beside him, face buried in the crook of Oikawa’s shoulder. His collar hangs loosely around his neck, ID tag cold on Oikawa’s skin.

Iwaizumi stirs when Oikawa moves his arm so the blood can flow through it again, blinking his bleary green eyes at him. Oikawa smiles at him. Iwaizumi squints, mouth souring, “You look like trash.”

Oikawa glares at him, pulling away, “And you have dog breath, Mr. Meanie.”

Iwaizumi sits up, wiping eye crust out of his eyes with the back of his fist, “Why the hell did you come here? You should have gone home and slept.”

“And leave you in the care of imbeciles? It’s a good thing I came, they were this close to strangling you and KyouKen-chan was centimeters from becoming a werewolf alongside you.”

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, “I made sure not to bite him. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. They got a little overboard but it was fine. You worry too much.”

Oikawa leans heavily against him, trying to use his weight to bring him back down to a lying position, and failing, “Iwa-chan, you’re so mean to me. I brave every mode of transportation to come save you and this is the thanks I get? You don’t deserve me,” he whines, body sliding down to nestle face down in Iwaizumi’s lap. 

Iwaizumi snorts, bringing his hand up to comb through Oikawa’s hair, pulling out leaves and twigs where he could, “You looked like you were ready to kill them all when you first came in here.”

Oikawa twists slightly so he can breathe better, face pointed to the side, staring down Iwaizumi’s bare ankles, “I was,” he mutters, soft because he knows it’s not a good thing to admit it too, fingers digging into Iwaizumi’s fleshy thigh that his head is pillowed against, “I would.”

Iwaizumi wraps his arms around Oikawa, lifting him up to look him in the eyes, “Hey, you gotta trust I can take care of myself, or its no good for you either.”

“I do trust  _ you _ ,” Oikawa replies, bringing a hand up to steady himself on Iwaizumi’s shoulders. His thumb circles the skin just beneath it, “It’s...it’s that  _ puppy _ inside you I don’t.”

Iwaizumi snorts, “You mean the giant bloodthirsty wolf? Who’s been managing just fine for the past year?”

Oikawa purses his lips and looks away. Iwaizumi kisses his cheek instead, forcing him to look back at him, “I think, I think you need to spend more time with ‘em, instead of just hiding out in the tent while it scampers around. You’ll see just how capable it is.” And the words surprise even Iwaizumi, but he thinks it’s about time he maybe start trusting the wolf inside him too. 

Oikawa huffs, “I thought you wouldn’t wish this on anyone, and yet now you’re sounding absolutely fond.”

Iwaizumi can’t help the grin cracking open his face, “It kinda grows on you after a while.”

Oikawa snorts, “I’ll think about it,” he acquiesces, standing up. He offers Iwaizumi a hand, hauling him from the ground as well, dusting off the dirt from his bare back and giving his butt a few playful pats. Iwaizumi swats him away as Oikawa laughs, “Alright, we need to get you in some clothes before the rest of the brigade wake up. No one’s allowed to see my man looking like this. I won’t allow it.”

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes but lets his husband be.

“Iwa-chan! Is this my sweater? And my pillow? Wait, why is all my stuff everywhere?”

Iwaizumi feels his face reddening without his permission, barking out, “Don’t worry about it! It’s nothing!”

Scratch that, he’ll never be able to trust that damn wolf after all.

**Author's Note:**

> DO NOT EVER TRY TO INDUCE VOMITING IN AN ANIMAL BY SHOVING YOUR HAND DOWN THEIR MOUTH THAT IS A VERY DUMB IDEA.
> 
> Ok, now that that's out of the way, thanks for reading! I was really astounded by all the positive attention the last sequel to this AU got and so I hope this one doesn't disappoint. It's always really fun to return to this little bizarre world. I'm glad so many of you like it too!
> 
> comments always appreciated! f you want to shout at me more directly you can visit [my tumblr!](http://www.findingschmomo.tumblr.com)
> 
> until next time


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